Resolving at New Years....

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People are quite divided on the topic of setting resolutions for New Year's Eve. How about shifting the "I have to lose 30 pounds this year" at New Year's Eve to

"I'm going to track my progress

toward living life as fully as possible

right now."

Think of it like you're writing a Plan of Care for your patients, only you're writing your Plan of Care for your life.

It's time!

Set a goal!

Worried that you're not going to reach it already? Set more than one! I set goals for health, family, financial, travel, spiritual and professional every year. At the end of the year, if I have reached half of them, I'm pretty happy!

Part of my list this year: become a better kayaker, gut and renovate a small cottage near my parents, plant a huge garden, walk El Camino de Santiago in Spain, finish writing a CEU course on rehab in long term care, and meditate more. Oh, and take a little more time off between assignments....

Write it down.

I've heard promotional speakers say that 5% of the population sets goals every year and only 3% write them down. That's like signing a contract. It ties you more closely to what you want. I can tell you that during years that I have written goals down, I have made them happen far better than years when I have not.

Make it happen.

Do it! Keep your eye on your prize. We attract that which on which we put our focus. Really. Try it. It's that simple.

Review the list regularly.

Each month, I pull the list off the fridge. Sometimes, I have checked off when I have accomplished a goal. Sometimes I don't. The important thing is that I turn my vision to what I want to accomplish. My brain starts ticking about the steps needed to reach the goals.

It's not work!  It's fun. It's life.

Don't beat yourself up if you don't reach certain goals. It's counter-productive. In fact, think of it like this (in the words of my favorite poet, Kahlil Gibran)

The significance of a man

is not in what he attains

but in what he longs to attain.

The Importance of Sleep!

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I went back to work today utterly exhausted. I had great rest all weekend, and last night, it all fell to pieces.

I went into work with a sore neck and a bad attitude.

I have to be honest! It happens once in a blue moon.

How often I go to work in a bad mood

In fact, by early afternoon, I felt so sleep deprived that I headed 4 blocks west to my little studio, and I fell deeply asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. I woke up snoring 45 minutes later, (which I only do if I am exhausted!) and on the hour mark, I had clocked back in to work.

I've never done this in 16 years of being a therapist!

You now what?  I finished the day with more energy, a brighter affect and better attitude than ever!

According to soundsleep.org, the body needs sleep:

• for healthy cell growth and for cell and tissue repair.
• to enable the immune system to function effectively.
• to enable the brain to encode and store recently received information. REM sleep activates the parts of the brain that deal with learning, and
• to allow neurons to regenerate and repair during sleep so that our bodies can continue to function as effectively as possible both physically and mentally.

According to wikipedia, sleep deprivation can cause a laundry list of general problems:

• aching muscles
• confusion, memory lapses or loss
• depression
• hallucinations
• hand tremors
• headaches
• malaise
• sensitivity to cold
• bloodshot eyes
• periorbital puffiness, commonly known as "bags under eyes" or eye bags
• increased blood pressure
• increased stress hormone levels
• increased risk of diabetes
• increased risk of fibromyalgia
• irritability
• nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)
• obesity
• temper tantrums in children
• yawning
• symptoms similar to:
  • Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)
  • Psychosis

That's not even going over the effects of brain and cognitive function, the effects on the healing process, and impairment of ability and other processes!
<sup>Crazy, huh?

I knew I was not being patient, encouraging and positive today. I had to stop it in midstream. The only way I knew was to get some rest.

I'm glad I did!

It also made me think about what my patients tell me when they say,</sup>

^{"I had a terrible night sleep!}

^{I don't think I can work right now."}

^{After last night, I'm much more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt!!}

Yogi Tea's Advice of the Day

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I had intended to work today; my body instead imposed a sick day.

Really! I did a lot of one particular ADL (activity of daily living) this week with my patients....ask any OT, and they will tell you that "toileting" is the least favorite part of their job!

So, guess what problem I may be having? Suffice to say, during this first week of winter season, that I am having symptoms of the flu...

To aid in the calming of my nausea and other less than delightful symptom, I reach for my Yogi Tea.

Thought it very fitting today to see this on the tab:

I assume that Yogi Tea may have been referring to the practice of meditation here, but I was thinking about something else...

Last night, I had read a post on a website for travel healthcare professionals that a particular traveler was having a difficult assignment. She was working in a facility with a lot of dementia patients. Like me. She felt as if she could not make it through the 13 weeks there.

When I read the tab, I thought about her, "Yes, you can  -  you can do it! Just follow these directions...."

Actually, I think if we follow these directions for everything in life, we'll be quite okay.

Don't you?



Christmas Stocking Project

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Wanted to share a project I did this weekend that I think would be great in the future for your patients to assist with (next year....this is a little last minute!)....

I needed 2 stockings for friends' gifts, and I decided to test how crafty I could get.

I went to the local hospice thrift store that has nice clothing, and I found a great quality red wool vest for $3.

I figured out a pattern that would fit both sides and made the initial cuts.

I kept the buttons and the collar. One of my friends is a rightie and her roommate is a leftie. I thought the direction of the stockings fit them perfectly! Check out how the direction of the decorative seams in the vest fit the stocking perfectly...

Next, I picked out an antique shade of green, and I started a quilting stitch around the stocking. The great thing about this is that it doesn't have to be precise!

Next, I reinforced it with a running horizontal stitch.

Afterwards, I split the collar of the vest and created a cuff on the top of the stocking (it's a bit difficult to see what it really looks like). I forgot to take a photo at that point.

Lastly, I sewed the rest of the buttons on the pocket flap.

Voila!

Two Christmas stockings for under $4.

This will be on my list to try with patients next year! They may or may not be able to do the stitching, but think of all the things you can assess while doing a project like this:

• sequencing
• problem solving
• organizational planning
• sitting balance
• UE strength
• fine motor coordination
• activity tolerance
• reminiscing/remote memory

Don't hesitate to share your projects!

It's Not Always What We Say

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I go in to wake Ann from her afternoon nap. She will sleep from lunch to dinner every day. Because we are trying to get her stronger and functionally mobile to return to home, though, we have to make sure she doesn't stay in bed for dinner, too!

Correct ways to sleep!

I gently put my hand on her arm. After a few seconds, I rub just a little. I know she is a person who does not mind being touched. If she was, I would have to use a different method!

She stirs. I tell her in a voice just loud enough for her to hear, "Ann, it's time to wake up. Almost dinner time."

She pulls back the covers and puts her warm hand on my forearm. She feels warm and wonderful! We start a daily conversation that I enjoy so much.

She speaks to me in Finnish, and I have no idea what she is saying. I speak back in English, which at times she understands, and at others, well, I'm really not sure.

She begins to rub my forearm while we talk, the way a grandmother would give comfort to a child.

Some people get frustrated with Ann because she won't speak English. I see that in her cognitive decline, she is losing her second language. She is reverting to the language she spoke as a child.

I allow her to slowly get up and assist her to the wheelchair. This is when the elderly are most at risk for falls, right after sleeping when they start to stand up.

She is awake now, still speaking Finnish. She signals the time, then says, "Morning?!"

"No, Annie," it's late afternoon. Time for dinner. It's Tuesday still."

She holds my hand for a moment and looks in my eyes.

We both smile.

I am keenly aware that it doesn't matter what language we speak to each other. The most important language is that of love and respect for each other that flows between us. Together we share a short moment in time that fills both our hearts and enables us to move on to the end of the day.

It's not always what we say....

Lesson of the Day: Never Underestimate the Power of Enthusiasm!

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Ginny is really been a show stopper at the facility! She is like the welcoming committee, party planner and "go-to person' who can be counted on for giving encouragement to those who are struggling. Thing is, she is quite confused, and half of what she says makes no sense at all.

It really doesn't make a difference, though, because her enthusiasm is contagious!!

One thing does make sense today....Ginny goes first thing this morning to the Administrator with a story and a plan...

"I wheeled past this amazing room yesterday!" she tells our leader. "I didn't know it existed! It was full of sun and there were some books in there!"

Ginny goes on to describe the sun room, which contains two bookshelves, about 2/3 of which are stacked with donated books, a sofa, a table and dining chair, an easy chair, and a large bird cage. It houses LeeRoy, the African Gray Parrot, who 

can whistle like a sailor, growl like a dog, say "fresh air!" and "whatever!"  Only on his terms, of course!

She tells the Administrator that she wants to "develop the library!"

Wonderful!

Ginny was the school librarian in the middle school of this town for most of her life. I ask around, and no one remembers her in this role because she's been retired more than 25 years! Goodness sakes, she's 90!

I get wind of the request when Ginny rolls into the gym for therapeutic exercise about 10:30am this morning. She's ready tell the world that she plans to be the librarian here.

"I don't want to be paid! I want to volunteer." She makes me smile!

My mind goes into "how to make it happen" mode. Due to her cognitive deficits, we will have to modify a few things. I stroll alongside her as she wheels down to "show me" the library.

"Let's do a needs analysis, Ginny! We'll figure out what you need in order to get this rolling," I tell her.

"Well (pause), we need a card envelope in each book, a check out card, and I need to catalog the books."

In my mind, I am thinking, "No, no, no....Modification #1...." I will keep it positive but work to sway her line of thinking. Remember, she is old school.  Literally.

"Ginny, it's a great idea to catalog the books we have. What would you think about streamlining the borrowing process to a checkout log so you don't have to handle all those cards?"

"Well..." I can see she can't make the jump without my assistance.

I describe how it will look. "We'll have a binder in which each resident will sign out their book on a special sheet. There will be a column for who is checking out the book, their room #, title of the book, date they check it out, and the date it needs to be returned."

I ask her expertise about how long it should be checked out. "Two weeks," is her confident answer. I have her buy-in on the checkout log.

OK. One thing accomplished. We develop a checkout log on the computer in no time and print it out. While I am at it, I print out the list of Dewey Decimal classes from Wikipedia just to make her day.

You should see Ginny smile.  I have her punch holes and put it in a binder I have picked up just for her.

Enthusiasm is contagious. I begin to get excited for her, too!

A few times I have to redirect her. She goes into,  "Now, we really need to order some books for the middle school age, and I'd like to get some for the early elementary."

I remind her, "Ginny, this library is for older kids, ages 75 to 100!"

"Oh, like me!" she says.

"Yes."

And I count the number of times I remind her in an hour....five.

We brainstorm and make some great plans. Ginny wants to have a "book drive" to collect donations from employees and current residents. Great idea!

We will create cool bookmarks, and we'll ask the receptionist to laminate them. I'll bring in my hundred colors of embroidery floss and she can work on fine motor coordination by punching a hole and making a tassle for each one. Great idea!

We will start a book cart, and she will be the welcoming committee, deliverer of news and books in the building, and overall person of encouragement for those around her. Great idea!

Hopefully by then, we will have her fully ambulatory again.

The process has begun. We are assisting Ginny with integrating her life into long term care. We are giving her a reason to get up in the morning, an avenue to share her passion, and the ability for her to touch the lives of everyone else with her enthusiasm.

Ginny will not shrivel up and die. She will live gracefully, joyfully and just plain "fully" until she graduates from this life.

Never underestimate

the power of enthusiasm!

Short Video from Tre/Thoughts for Today

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Recorded this short video with my droid on my morning walk...

Click here

for Tre's Message Today!